Grill hone holder and guard



NOV. 18, 1947. I p OBRIEN 2,430,991

GRILL HONE HOLDER AND GUARD Filed Dec. 2 1946 INVEN TOR.

Patented Nov. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRILL HONE HOLDER AND GUARD Terrance P. OBrien, Vallejo, Calif.

Application December 2, 1946, Serial No. 713,528

Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in holders for holding the bricks or hones for polishing the tops oi grills or ranges and provides a new type of holder which securely holds without crushing the brick or hone, and provides complete protection against spattering hot grease for the hand operating the hone, and makes a greater portion of the brick usable.

The conventional grill hone consists of a brick of pumice which is cut to approximate size though sometimes varying slightly in length or width. The almost universal method of use in restaurants and the like consists in holding the brick by the hand with intervening piece of burlap or rag. This method at best appears unsanitary and certainly not appetizing, but is apparently the most satisfactory up to the time of introduction of my invention, because holders which are now available have some type or other of clamping means which is too positive and therefore ruptures the brick and thereafter cannot hold it securely, and none of these devices offer any protection for the hand against spattering grease, not even as much protection as a piece of burlap or a rag.

Pumice is very light in weight and is fragile, and therefore any undue pressure at any point will cause the brick to rupture or crush. When screws are used to grip the brick the brick is almost certain to be ruptured in such manner as to make it no longer. capable of being secured unless the brick is turned over.

The pumice brickis always used on a hot griddle or grill which is well covered with grease as its effectiveness is dependent upon a suitable body of grease and a hot surface. When the brick is manipulated either through the use of a rag or a conventional holder, the hand of the operator is fully exposed to spattering hot grease, and burns often result. The brick is inconvenient to use in this manner and its effectiveness is lim ited because of the bulk of the holders or rags which do not permit the 'brick to work up to walls or panels.

My invention overcomes all of the above objectionable features and provides a holder which will not crush the brick, which will permit the brick to work in close quarters close to the grill panels, and which provides complete protection for the hand of the operator against not only 2 spattering hot grease but also against the heat from the grill, It is neat and sanitary appearing, and the bricks can be used for a greater degree of Wear and are easily and quickly replaced when worn.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a holder for grill hones and which includes non-crushing holding means for the bone.

Second, to rovides holder as outlined the holding means of which will compensate for bricks or hones varying in cross-sectional dimen sions.

Third, to provide a holder as outlined in which the bricks or bones are easily replaceable at will.

Fourth, to provide a holder as outlined with guarding means for the hand of the operator against spattering hot grease and the heat of the grill.

Fifth, to provide a holder as outlined which is economical to manufacture, convenient to use, and of the greatest possible utility and efficiency.

In describing the invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig, 2 is a sectional top plan View taken on line 2-2 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the front end of the holder viewed in the direction 5--5 of Fi 1.

Fig, 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the handle connection.

The invention is shown as formed of sheet metal throughout though the greater part can be formed of thermo-plastics or the like or may be cast of lightweight metal, and consists of a housing [0 having side walls H and I2, a front lip l3 and sloping front wall [4; the top It: and back l6 being open above the handle.

The rear ends of the side walls II and ii are slit as indicated at [l and then folded in against the insides of the side walls as indicated at l8 and the upper ends of these folded in portions are bent down at right angles as indicated at [9 and 20 to form a bridge, and another bridge 2i if provided for the forward end of the handle 22 which. is undercut at each end as indicated at 23 to rest on the respective bridges; the respective ends of the handle being secured to the bridges by suitable means such as the bolts 24, these bolts simultaneously securing the clamping means 25 to the bridges.

These clamping means have an upper inverted U-shaped portion 26 with laterals 21 extending from the terminals of the respective legs of the U-shaped portion, and being bent down as indi cated at 28 and suitably secured to the lower portions of the side walls as by cone-point rivets 29, the cones 30 of which function to bite slightly into the sides of the brick 3|, and particularly for holding the brick in an advanced position as it becomes worn close to the holder; the laterals 2? normally resting on the top of the brick and functioning as stops.

The lower ends of the folded-in sections l8 are also slitted as indicated at 32 and the lowermost portions are bent at right angles as indicated at 33 to form a heel for the brick, while the lip I3 is slitted at each side free of the side walls as indicated at 34 to permit free adjustment of the lower portions of the side walls, these side walls being bent in at their lower edges as indicated at 35 to reinforce the edges and to provide engaging means over an extended area of the brick. Screws 36 and 3] passing through the respective legs of each U-shaped member, together with thumb nuts, completes the clamping arrangement.

The brick 3| fits within the enclosure formed by the lower end of the guard, and the lateral members 21 rest on top of the brick and function as stops for a new brick, while for a worm brick, the guard is raised and re-clamped, with the turned in edges 35 and the pointed rivet heads securing the brick through the clamping means.

The holder is placed over a new brick with the laterals or stops 2'! resting on top of the brick. The thumb nuts 38 and 39 are tightened, drawing in the lower portions of the side walls, causing the inturned edges and the rivet heads to grip the brick.

It will be noted that the legs 26 of the inverted U-shaped portion of the clamping means will spring inward toward each other under tension of the screw after the brick is engaged and a predetermined pressure is effected on the sides of the brick, so that no undue pressure can be exerted to crush the brick, the clamping action being definitely limited to a safe value.

Since the brick is extremely light in weight, very little clamping action or pressure is necessary, and an excess would merely cause the brick to rupture. No excessive pressure can be exerted because of the spring action of the clamping means.

In use, the hand enters through the open back l6, grasping the handle 22. The handle is fully shielded on sides and front, the top being open for circulation, and for escape of heat from the interior of the guard, N o grease can spatter onto the hand while the grill or range top is being polished, and the hand is further protected against the direct heat from the .heated surface.

I claim:

l. A combined guard and holder for a grill hone comprising; holding means for encasing the top of the hone and including a handle for operation of the hone and also including means limited as to pressure for securing the hone in the holding means, and guard means extending upwardly from the holding means and to a level above the handle for protecting the handle area against heat and spattering grease or the like, said holding means comprising side walls having cross members between the respective ends of the walls with said handle supported thereon, and a clamping member having an inverted U-shape with the transverse members secured to said cross-members, and operative connections between the respective legs of the clamping member and the lower ends of the respective side walls, and a clamping screw operating between the legs of each inverted U-shaped member.

2. A combined guard and holder for a grill hone comprising; holding means for encasing the top of the hone and including a handle for operation of the hone and also including means limited as to pressure for securing the hone in the holding means, and guard means extending upwardly from the holding means and to a level above the handle for protecting the handle area against heat and spattering grease or the like, said guard means comprising side walls and a front wall, with the top open for the escape of heat, and the back open for access to the handle; said holding means including the lower ends of said side walls, cross members between the respective ends of said side walls with said handle supported thereby, and a clamping member for each cross member and having an inverted U-shape with the transverse member secured to the cross-member, and operative connections between the respective legs of the clamping members and the lower ends of the respective Walls, and a clamping screw cooperating between the legs of the inverted U- shaped member.

3. A combined guard and holder for a grill hone comprising; holding means for encasing the top of the hone and including a handle for operation of the hone and also including means limited as to pressure for securing the hone in the holding means, and guard means extending upwardly from the holding means and to a level above the handle for protecting the handle area against heat and spattering grease or the like, said guard means comprising; side Walls and a front wall, with the top of the guard means open for escape of. heat, and the back of the guard open for access to the handle; said holding means comprising the lower portions of said side walls with the lower edges turned in for reinforcement and to provide gripping means for the sides of the brick, and resilient means and contracting means therefor and operatively associated with said lower ends for retracting the lower ends to grip the sides of the brick under manual adjustment of the contracting means.

4. A grill hone holder and guard comprising; an enclosure having side walls and a front wall, and bridges connecting said side walls at the respective front and rear ends intermediate the height thereof; a handle having its opposite ends mounted on the respective bridges; resilient retracting means intermediately secured to the respective bridges and to the lower ends of the respective side walls and including manually operable means for retraction thereof with retraction drawing in the lower ends of said side walls under resilient resistance to prevent rupture of the brick by limiting the pressure exertable; said resilient retracting means including stop means limiting the insertion of the brick into the holder.

5. A structure as defined in claim 6; the respective side Walls being turned in at the lower edges to reinforce the edges and provide extensive gripping area on the sides of the brick and in spaced relation below the top surface of the brick; said resilient retracting means consisting of a 5 6 clamping member formed from a strip of resilient metal bent to U-shape with the cross member REFERENCES CITED connected centrally to the bridge, and screw The following references are ofrecord in the passing centrally through the legs of the U -shaped file Of i Pa n member, lateral extensions from the terminal ends 5 of the legs and forming stops to limit insertion of UNITED STATES PATENTS the brick and having their ends connected to the Number Name Date lower portions of the respective side walls to re- 1,200,089 Dooley Oct. 3, 1916 tract the side Walls against the sides of the brick. 3 er hman Apr. 6. 1920 TERRANCE P. OBRIEN. 10 2,054,495 Corkum Sept. 15, 1936 

